Rainbow Salad #bebetter52

We’ve all heard advice regarding eating a more colorful diet, but how many of us have taken this to heart? Besides making for a more Instagram-worthy plate, combining colorful foods into your salad can also benefit your health. Creating a rainbow salad will bring out your artistic side while ensuring your body is being nourished with vitamins and minerals.

This week’s #bebetter52 challenge: Make a Rainbow Salad. Stop by your local market or search through your pantries and gather fruits and veggies of all colors. Combining these ingredients not only results in a beautiful and tasty salad but also one with many health benefits.

Here’s the fun part: there is no specific recipe for creating a perfect rainbow salad. Have some leftover sweet corn? Toss it in. How about some dried cranberries? They can find a home in the salad. Varied foods often mix together to form a dish tastier than any single ingredient. The beauty of this dish is that it can incorporate any fruits or vegetables you wish. This is an opportunity to let your inner artist out, let the bowl be your canvas and the grocery store your pallet. Just be sure to vary the colors. Avocados, pomegranate seeds, and carrots are examples of items that can both color your salad and fuel your body. Incorporating a variety of salad toppings will improve both your mental and physical health. The more creative you are with the toppings, the more your body will thank you for it.

According to livestrong.com, salads provide a mixture of Vitamin A, B, C, E and K. By adding in rainbow-colored ingredients, you can boost the nutritional aspect of your salad in any way you want to. Filling your salad with greens such as kale, spinach and lettuce will provide multiple vitamins while strengthening your immune system. Adding in reds like tomatoes and peppers can reduce the risk of heart disease. Orange accents such as sweet potatoes or carrots boost eyesight and skin quality. Adding blueberries to your salad will increase the beauty of your dish while contributing cancer-fighting antioxidants. Bermuda onions and eggplants are examples of purple ingredients that protect against heart disease. After combining these colorful components, add a hint of your favorite cheese and a drizzle of your favorite vinaigrette to complete the full rainbow. Now you have a meal that not only looks and tastes great, but also provides the nutrients your body craves!